VLR Listed: 4/16/1985 NPS Form tO.WO NRHP Listed: 6/20/1985 13821
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service For NPS use only National Register of Historic Places received !~~e?nt~ry-~~~~i~~$!~~Form date entered See instructions in How 10 Complete National Register Forms Type all entries-complete applicable sections 8, Bame (Thematic ~ornination) historic CARTER FAMILY THBMATIC YOMINATION (DHL File 84-20) . . - - - and ox common N/A 2. Rscafiioa street & number Various ( see individual iriventory forms) !&*not for publication -- - - >- ciEy,town Maces Spring x vicinity of --- .- - - A Virginiq code 5 1 countv Scott code 169
Category Ownership Status Present Use ,-district -public 2 occupied -agriculture -x __ -building(s) A private LL unoccupied - - structure -both workin progress - ,L private residence - Public Acquisition dccessible - -X religious - -in process -5 yes: restricted -- -scientific - transportation
name Multiple &nership (see individusl inventory Egrms) - ,,. ------. -- - street & number ' N/A -- - -- . -- .- --- * - ci!y, town W /A. ~/.plvicinityof stare N/A , P*I a-1 5, Location off Resal Desceil~tion courthouse. registry of deeds, etc. Scott County Courtl~ouse ------. -
city. town Gate City state VirRinia
6. Re~resemta-tiom Existime SUBY~VS~S~~hntinuation Sheet $:L)
Virginia ~ivision 3 f His t0riC Landn3r;ifias this property been determined eligible? -yes no .. - .. .- +"? ------date 1975, 1985 - . federal _ state -county .. local -- - .- . deposirory Virginia Division of Historic Landmarks f s -- . - -- .- - o -r -urve y r.ec. -or -d s - -- ..------. ------.. - --- Virginia city, town 221 Governor Street, Richmor~d state 23219 - --+--- -. - .-- - -- .. - - . ------..+- . . -- . . NPS Form 10,900,a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (3·82) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form CARTER FAMILY THEMATIC NOMINATION, Scott County, Virginia Continuation sheet {fol Item number 6 , 7 Page 1, 1
6. REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS
A. P. Carter Homeplace (National Register, 7/30/1976) 1975-6 State Survey Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission, 221 Governor Street Richmond, Virginia 23219
7. DESCRIPTION -- Architectural Analysis
professional career as the Carter Family are all located in this small geographic region.
The nomination includes five of the buildings initially identified in the survey and research. The first, and oldest, is the A. P. Carter Homeplace, pre viously listed individually on the National Register. This small, one~story half-dovetailed log cabin contains a single room on the main floor with a loft above. It was later enlarged by a frame shed kitchen addition along the back. This was the birthplace of A. P. Carter in 1891, and it has remained in the Carter family through the present day. The form is very typical of the mid- to late 19th-century domestic property types in the area, and illustrates the oldest surviving house types in Scott County.
The other two houses, th~ A. P. and Sara Carter House and the Maybelle and Ezra Carter House, served as the residences of A. P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter during their recording careers as the Carter Family between 1927 and 1943. Both are typical in form, scale, materials, and plan for domestic architecture of the period. In both instances the Carters purchased an older house, originally four or five rooms, and remodeled it in the 1920s or 1930s to create a domestic form popular for that period. Both were :one-story frame dwellings enlarged by an additional half-story for more bedroo~ space. These renovations responded to the bungalow style which became increasingly popular during these years. The survey revealed that many of the older, Rrobably 1880-1920 houses in the region were similarly remodeled during these yeqrs in the bungalow style. It is signif icant that these present forms also reflect the changes made by the Carters them selves when they lived at these houses, and the houses have not been significantly altered since.
The remaining two properties are both public buildings. The oldest is the Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church, attedded by the Carter Family members. The '.church follows the traditional church pl~n, a one-story, rectangular frame struc ture with. gable roof and simple wooden s~eeple. Like many rural churches of
(See Contin~ation Sheet #2) 7. Description
Col)dition Check one Check one _..x._ excellent __ deteriorated -X- unaltered --~- original site N / A _·· 'QOOd __ ruins __ altered __ moved date-·------·-----·----·--·-·--·····--·----- ~fair "'1 __ unexposed
Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
This thematic nomination focuses on buildings associated with the lives of A. P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter, important collectors, performers, and composers of mountain music and major figures in the hillbilly music revival of the 20th century. The primary unifying theme is historical in nature, based on buildings directly associated with these original Carter Family members. The selected prop erties are the A. P. Carter Homeplace, the A. P. and Sara Carter House, the Maybelle and Ezra Carter House, the A. P. Carter Store, and the Mt. Vernon Methodist Church. All five of the nominated properties are located in the Maces Spring community of Scott County, Virginia, and date to the late 19th or early 20th century. Besides their primary historical significance, the five nominated buildings also illustrate a second theme--that of typical rural vernacular archi tecture in a southwest Virginia mountain community. These buildings all serve ~as representative examples of Scott County's vernacular architecture from 1890 to 1945.
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS
This nomination evolved as an effort to identify and evaluate properties associated with the original Carter Family. The inclusion of the A. P. Carter Homeplace in the National Register of Historic Places on July 30, 1976 has already· recognized the important contributions of the Carter Family. However, substantial local and family interest in registering the A. P. Carter Store led to the suggestion of a thematic nomination which would .include all properties associated with the Carter Family during their active professional careers. Research and survey activity by the tiivision of Historic Landmarks in January and February of 1985 helped identify the potential pool of resources from which the nominated thematic resources were drawn. Carter family members assisted in the documentation and identification of these properties. The survey included one store, one school, one church, and several houses.
The survey was restricted to the Maces Spring area of Scott County where the Carter Family lived during the most productive period of their recording life, between 1927 and 1943. Maces ·spring.is a small community strung along state Route 614 in a narrow mountain valley, named Poor Valley, between Clinch Mountain to the north and the Pine Ridge to the south. Four of the resources are located directly on a 7/10 mile stretch along route 614 in Poor Valley. The remaining building is situated in Little Valley, across Pine Ridge from Poor Valley and approximately 5/10 miles from the cluster of the other four resources. A. P. spent his entire lifetime in this community. Sara and Maybelle both moved to Maces Spring·upon their marriages, Sara in 1915 and Maybelle in 1926. Sara later relocated in California in 1943. and Maybelle moved to Nashville in the late 1940s, but the properties most specifically identified with their
(See Continuation Sheet #1) NPS Form 10-900-a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (3·82) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form CARTER FAMILY THEMATIC NOMINATION, Scott County, Virginia Continuation sheet #2 Item number 7 Page 2
7. DESCRIPTION -- Architectural Analysis
this period, the exterior and interior were quite plain. Although the original church furniture has been removed, there have been few alterations to the interior of the building. Behind the church is the cemetery containing the graves of A. P. and Sara Carter. The A. P. Carter store, the most recent of the nominated re sources, was built in 1945 by A. P. Carter and exhibits a commercial form partic ular to this immediate region. Instead of the familiar rectangular form with gable end entrance, the A. P. Carter's store has been turned so that the longer side and roofline run parallel to the road. Yet the building has not completely abandoned the use of a front gable; the central entrance is instead flanked by a cross gable to each side, suggesting its commercial use. In its one-story elevation and frame construction, the A. P. Carter Store meshes well in scale, materials, and form with the older cultural resources in Maces Spring.
Criteria Band C proved most useful in evaluating the significance of the nominated resources. Since the primary theme was historical, criterion B- relating to "properities associated with the lives of persons significant in our past"--became the first, and major, criterion for this nomination. To be considered, the properties first had to have a direct relation with one of the original Carter Family members, either A. P., Sara, or Maybelle Carter. Ideally, the buildings should be associated with their adult, or productive, lives. The four previously unregistered resources included in the nomination do actually reflect the lives of these individuals while they were active in their music careers. The only previously registered building, the A. P. Carter Homeplace, was the only exception, and justification had already been made for its inclu sion based on other qualifications under criteria Band C.
The length of association of these properties to the Carter Family was also an essential consideration under Criterion B. All of the nominated resources had been associated with the original Carter Family and their heirs throughout much of the 20th century. The three dwellings have remained in the Carter family since their initial acquisition. The A. P. Carter Homeplace still belongs to A. P. 's brother Ermine; the A. P. and Sara Carter House served as A. P. 's home until his death in 1960, when it passed to his daughter Gladys, the present owner; and the Maybelle Carter House was used as her home between 1927 and the early 1950s, when it was sold to her husband's brother, but it has recently been repurchased by Maybelle's daughter June Carter Cash. The A. P. Carter Store, built by A. P., was willed at his death to his daughter Janette who later used the building as a music hall and most recently as the Carter Family Memorial Museum to perpetuate the memory of the original Carter Family and to preserve traditional mountain music. The Mt. Vernon Church served as a "cornerstone" in the lives of all the original Carter Family mem bers, who were quite religious and known for their hymns and gospel music, and is still attended by A. P .. and Sara's three children who live in Maces Spring .. (See Continuation Sheet #3) NPS Form 10·900·a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (3·82) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form CARTER FAMILY THEMATIC NOMINATION, Scott County, Virginia Continuation sheet 1fa3 Item number 7 Page 3
7. DESCRIPTION -- Architectural Analysis
A third consideration under Criterion Bis whether the properties would be recognizable to the Carter family were they to see them today. Because there have been no major changes to any of the five nominated properties since their associa tion with the original Carter Family members, there is little doubt that they could be recognized.
The secondary area of thematic significance for these resources, architecture, has been evaluated by Criteria C. As representative examples of local vernacular architecture, all the nominated resources should "embody the distinctive charac teristics of a type, period, or method of construction." The five selected build ings all exemplify the vernacular forms of architecture popular in Scott County most specifically and southwest Virginia more broadly for the early 20th century, serving as good examples of local and regional building practices. The A. P. Carter Homeplace, the oldest of the nominated resources, illustrates the most common small house type and building technology for this region in the late 19th ·~entury. As such, it presents a transition from the past to the more recent, 20th-century buildings included in the nomination. The two 20th-century houses, the A. P. and Sara Carter House and the Maybelle and Ezra Carter House, exemplify the vernacular dwelling types most often found for small houses in this region in the 1920s and 1930s. The Mt. Vernon Church, built in the 1890s, reflects a very standard church plan for this region at the turn of the century. The last build ing, the A. P. Carter Store, is representative of a more distinct local commer cial form found in Scott County in the 1940s. Besides representing regional forms, all the nominated resources display traditional forms of workmanship, moving from log construction in the late 19th century to frame construction in the 20th cen tury. Taken as a thematic group, these buildings provide an excellent sampling of vernacular architecture in a small, fairly isolated mountain community of southwest Virginia.
Criteria Band C excluded only a few buildings from the already small pool of potential resources. The original Carter Family members each lived primarily in one home during their most active musical careers, from 1927 to 1943; conse quently only one house associated with Maybelle and one house associated with Sara and A. P. could qualify~ The previous short-term residences of Sara and A. P. were eliminated from consideration. The one-room schoolhouse attended by A. P. Carter was excluded on the basis of both criteria. First, it did not rank high in Criteria B because it had been substantially altered since its association with A. P. Secondly, because of these alterations, it had lost much of its integrity as an example of local vernacular architecture under Criterion C.
(See Continuation Sheet #4) NPS Form 10-900-a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (3·82) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form CARTER FAMILY THEMATIC NOMINATION, Scott County, Virginia Continuation sheet #4 Item number 7 Page 4
7. DESCRIPTION -- Architectural Analysis
After meeting both the criteria, the five nominated resources were evaluated to determine if they possessed integrity as representatives of the primary and secondary themes. One of the most important standards of integrity for historically significant structures is location. All of the buildings were in their original location and had not been moved. Location was particularly important in this nomination for several other reasons as well. First, the relationship between the nominated buildings, which are clustered closely together in a one-half mile radius, reveals the close family ties that developed between Sara, A. P. and Maybelle. Secondly, the relationship between the resources and the place, an isolated, rural southwest Virginia community, is important since this is where they learned the traditional music for which they became so well known.
Closely related to location is integrity of setting. Again, because of the primary historical theme, the original setting is essential in evoking the meaning and significance of these resources. In all five cases, the setting has been well preserved. Due to the lack of any substantial modern development in this small mountain community, the density of buildings or structures around the properties has not changed dramatically. The setting of the individual proper ties also is important in illustrating the changes in settlement patterns that characterized the Appalachian regions. The oldest building, the A. P. Carter Homeplace, is located in the rolling farmlands along a stream, as were most of the first settlements in these mountain communities. After the railroad was built through the adjoining Poor Valley, the majority of the traffic moved into this Valley, where the road was greatly improved in the 20th century. The four resources which are significant for their 20th-century periods are all located along this route, instead of the major rivers or streams. The church is pictur esquely sited atop a small knoll overlooking this community in Poor Vc1.lley. Its setting clearly exemplifies the local vision of the church as both a symbol of the community's strong religious character and as a focal point for community life.
The nominated buildings should and do retain integrity of design, workman ship, and materials, although these qualities are more relevant to the second ary area of significance. In terms of design, all the nominated resources reflect the vernacular architectural developments of Scott County in the early 20th century. Since none have been dramatically altered, they retain the forms, structures, and styles characteristic of the period. The only building to be enlarged was the A. P. and Sara Carter House, but the garage addition to the side has not compromised the integrity of the original structure. Similarly, in terms of workmanship, these vernacular structures reveal local and regional methods of construction which are generally quite plain due to the character of the area. The five buildings also retain most of their historical materials, although some have clearly been better preserved than others. Both the A. P. Carter Homeplace and the A. P. Carter Store have had virtually no changes to their historic fabric while the A. P. and Sara Carter House and the Mt. Vernon (See Continuation Sheet #5) NPS Form 10·900-a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (3-82) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form CARTER FAMILY THEMATIC NOMINATION, Scott County, Virginia Continuation sheet 4fa5 Item number 7 , 8 Page 5, 1
7. DESCRIPTION -- Architectural Analysis
Methodist Church have had aluminum siding added over the original wood frame. How ever, since the later two buildings meet the ·other standards of integrity, they have not been excluded solely on the basis of their new siding.
The last two ways in which integrity should be evaluated are feeling and association. As previously stated, with few alterations and long-term associa tions with the family, the nominated resources rank very high as direct reflec tions of the lives of the original Carter Family. The buildings thus remain sufficiently intact to convey those relationships. Meeting _the six previously described standards of integrity, the nominated buildings also rate high in feeling, evoking the quality of life in the Appalachian mountain region and the historical roots from which mountain music evolved as well as the lives of A. P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter.
8. SIGNIFICANCE -- Historical Background
west Virginia. After their marriage, Sara moved to Maces Spring, where she and A. P. performed locally for several years.
The third member of the group was Maybelle Addington, a cousin of Sara, and also from the Copper Creek community. Maybelle married A. P. 's brother Ezra in 1926 and moved to Maces Spring. Like A. P. and Sara, Maybelle brought a rich musical background. She played guitar, banjo, and autoharp, and also sang many of the traditional songs. After her move to Maces Spring, the group as it is commonly known today was complete.
The Carter Family's first major break occurred in the summer of 1927, when the Victor Talking Machine Company auditioned local talent in nearby Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia. The Victor talent scouts immediately recognized their poten tial, and the Carters were on their way to a long and fruitful recording career. The Carter Family performed a wide repertoire of songs traditional in the family, including songs composed by A. P. and to a lesser extent by Sara and Maybelle Carter, as well as songs actively collected by A. P. Carter and performed ver batim or reworked by him. At a critical period in mountain musical culture, when outside influences were beginning to overwhelm traditional local strains, the Family's corpus of about 250 songs recorded between 1927 and 1941 preserved a valuable body of southwest Virginia's folk music. The Carters' working collection of old ballads, occupational songs, hymns and gospel music, Victorian parlor songs and other sentimental pieces, and black-inspired blues probably
(See Continuation Sheet #6) 8. Significance
Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below ____ prehistoric ... __ . archeology-prehistoric _ community planning .. landscape architecture __ ...... religion ----- 1400-1499 ..... __ archeology-historic . conservation . law _____ science ----- 1500-1599 ····- __ agriculture _____ economics . literature _____ sculpture --- 1600-1699 ______x architecture education .. ___ .. military ______social/ _ --- 1700-1799 . ___ art . engineering --~-- music humanitarian _x_ 1800-1899 ______commerce exploration/settlement ______philosophy ____ theater -X-- 1900- ______communications ... _.. industry ______politics1government __ transportation ... __ invention __lL other (specify) ········--·------·-········· ___ --··········-·-- . _ -········--·--······---·············-·---·--·-·····-·----·-·------folklore _ Specific dates late 19th & 20th Builder/Archi.tect Various Centuries · ·· · · · ----- Statement of Significance (in one paragraph)
STATEMENT OF.SIGNIFICANCE
Despite their fairly recent arrival on the traditional music scene in the 1920s, the originalCarter Family, composed of A. P~, Sara, and Maybelle Carter, has been recognized by folklotists and historians for their tremendous influence on American folk music. Their recording career, which began in 1927, came at a . formative time in the hillbilly music industry, as it was building a new regional popular music on a folk base. ·Under A. P. 's leadership, the Carter Family was instrumental in transforming their expression of Virginia folk music from a local phenomenon into a regional one. The Carter Family won inrrnediate favor and main tained their popularity for over three decades, with the individual members con tinuing their participation in folk and country music through the 1950s and 1960s. The five buildings included in this nomination are integrally associated with the lives of the original Carter Family members and illustrate, in a material form, the folk culture portrayed in their music. In addition to their historical associa tion with the Carter Family, all five illustrate a secondary theme of vernacular architecture in Scott County. Taken as a thematic group, the buildings exemplify traditional building practices characteristic of rural mountain communities in southwest Virginia in the· first haH of the 20th century.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
A. P. Carter was the only member of the Carter Family originally from the isolated mountain conrrnunity of Maces Spring. His family, however, had been living here for over 100 years ~hen he was born in 1891. In his early years, A. P. showed much interest and talent in musical areas. His early instruction in music came from an uncle who kept one of the shape-note ''singing schools"· popular in rural areas of the South during the 19th century. A. P. ~ang both in the church choir at Mt. Vernon Methodist Church and in a family quartet and also learned to play the fiddle.
In June of 1915 A. P. married Sara Dougherty, who lived over the mountain in Copper Creek. Sara was also musically inclined, playing banjo, guitar, and auto harp and, like A. P., absorbing much of the music~l traditions prevalent in south-
(See Continuation Sheet #5) NPS Form 10·900•8 0MB No. 1024-0018 (3·82) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form CARTER FAMILY THEMATIC NOMINATION, Scott County, Virginia Continuation sheet #6 Item number 8 Page 2
8. SIGNIFICANCE -- Historical Background
represented a truer cross section of mountain tastes and culture of the early 20th century than any academic collection before or since. The Carters also made other valuable contributions besides their song repertoire. Maybelle's guitar playing offered a new rhythm to country music which was absorbed by other guitarists and can still be heard today. Each of the original members clearly revealed their own strengths in the group--A. P. as the group leader and song collector and composer; Maybelle as the guitarist whose playing transformed future folk guitar styles; and Sara as the solo singer whose outstanding voice characterized the group's singing style.
While the Cart.ers achieved much national acclaim, they never claimed great wealth from their recording careers and continued to live and work in the Maces Spring community. Occasional trips outside the area for work and for performing were the only times they left. The Carters continued to record actively during the depression years, unlike most country artists. In the late 1930s they brought their children into the singing group--A. P. and Sara's children Joe and Janette and Maybelle's three daughters Anita, June, and Helen. Yet throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, their performances remained very consistent, drawing upon the same types of songs and using the same, and very distinct, Carter Family style.
In 1943 the original Carter Family finally disbanded. However, they did not cease to be involved in the musical field. Maybelle remained most active, forming a group with her daughters entitled Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters. The group first appeared on WRVA's Old Dominion Barn Dance in Richmond, Virginia, but soon moved on to Nashville and appeared regularly on the WSM Grand Ole Opry, where they quickly became famous. During their Nashville tenure, Maybelle and her daughters moved more into the realm of popular country music, but retained their repertoire of traditional Carter Family songs still demanded by their audience. In the late 1960s, they began their association with country singer Johnny Cash. June Carter's marriage to Johnny Cash continued to keep Maybelle's daughters in the limelight and led to the increased popularity and notoriety of the original Carter Family's songs and contributions to the realm of country music.
A. P. and Sara Carter remained less involved in the public sphere. Sara had remarried and moved to California, but she returned to Virginia for visits to see her children and for various performances and recording contracts. A. P. built his general merchandise store in the heart of the Maces Spring community in 1945, but still had intentions of remaining active in music. He continued to collect, compose and perform music locally. In 1952, A. P. and Sara began a short recording career with their children Joe and Janette as the Carter Family or the A. P. Carter Family. Without the Nashville backings and promotion, these recordings did not achieve the popularity of either Maybelle's work or their
(See Continuation Sheet #7) NPS Form 10,900,a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (3·82) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form CARTER FAMILY THEMATIC NOMINATION, Scott County, Virginia Continuation sheet iffo7 Item number 8 Page 3
8. SIGNIFICANCE -- Historical Background
earlier work. However, their recordings reflect a continuation of their traditional fare, involving the same sorts of songs, with some of their more recent compositions, sung in basically the same style as the original Carter Family.
After A. P. 's death in 1960, the contributions and impact of the original Carter Family became more apparent with the growing urban folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. Maybelle and Sara both became popularly requested performers, who brought the traditional styles to modern ears. Their children have continued these efforts, with Janette opening a music hall in Maces Spring to highlight traditional music. Janette and Joe Carter still are active in performing more traditional styles of music, while Maybelle's daughters, particularly June Carter Cash, continue to bring their traditional heritage to a more broadly based country music audience.
The nominated buildings clearly display, in a material manner, the Appalachian heritage which the Carter Family popularized through their music. As a thematic group, the five resources document the vernacular architecture heritage of rural Scott County, and rural southwest Virginia more broadly. The A. P. Carter Home place is an outstanding example of the rather unglamorous one-room house plan that proved to be one of the most common features of the domestic landscape in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The A. P. and Sara Carter House and Maybelle and Ezra Carter House continue this domestic theme into the 20th century, illustrating two of the more familiar forms of small house construction for the period. Both the A. P. Carter Store and the Mt. Vernon Methodist Church provide excellent, well preserved examples of the public building forms most commonly found in these isolated mountain communities.
Although less than 50 years old, the A. P. Carter Store, built in 1945, has been included as an integral member of this thematic grouping. Although the building post-dates the career of the original Carter Family, A. P. continued to be involved with music during the years in which he operated the store, from 1945 to his death in 1960. Besides this direct connection to A. P. Carter, the store has been used by his daughter Janette in the 1970s to perpetuate the memory of the Carter Family and the tradition of mountain music. Janette Carter held "Old Time Music Shows" here in the mid-1970s, and later transformed the store into the Carter Family Memorial Museum. In addition to its historical association, t4e A. P. Carter Store ranks very high as an excellent example of a very local commercial building form popular in Scott County. It has remained in an excellent state of preservation with almost no alterations to the original fabric built by A. P. Carter.
(See Continuation Sheet #8) 9. Major Bibliographical References
See Continuation Sheet #8
1 O. Geographical Data See Individual Inventory Forms
Acreage of nominated property _N/~A______Quadrangle name _N-'-/_A____ _ Quadrangle scale _N_;_/_A____ _ UT M References N/A
Aw 1 1, 1 ew 'II I ·1 1··( F 1 t .. j" Zone Easting Zone Easting Northing C w l....___.___._.t __, _I...__._ ___ , ow I I I I E LLJ I I I...... ---~ ...... I FW I I I I I GLLJI r 11 L. HW I I ·1 I
Verbal boundary description and justification See Individual Inventory Forms
List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries
state N/A code county N/A code
state N/A code county N/A code 11. Form· Prepared By
name/titl.e VIRGINIA DIVISION .OF HISTORIC LANDMARKS STAFF
organization VIRGINIA DIVISION OF HISTORIC LANDMARKS d~e February 1985
street & number 221 Governor Street ... , telephone. (804) 786-;:-3143_,
city or town Richmond state Virgini? 23219 · 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Cer.tification
The evaluated significance of this property within the state is:
-·· national _x__ state ___ local As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the ational Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 8~ 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the N · nal Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth. by the .. ~ Servl;z. / ;f,I State Historic Pre.seryation Officer signature _ Jr,~ H .. Bryan Mitch e 11 , D1. rec tor - ~,--____.._"'------_------'------title. ' VlRGINTA· DIV1SION-' HISTOR C S date _April -22, 1985
date NPS Form 10-900-a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (3-82) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form CARTER FAMILY THEMATIC NOMINATION, Scott County, Virginia Continuation sheet #8 Item number 9 Page 1
9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
Anglo-American Folk Song Scholarship Since 1898. New Brunswick, N. J.: Rutgers University Press, 1959.
Atkins, John. "The Carter Family," in Bill C. Malone and Judith McCulloch, eds. Stars of Country Music. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1975.
Glassie, Henry. "Types of the Southern Mountain Cabin," iri. Jan H. Brunvand, ed. The Study of American Folklore. 1968.
Green, Archie. "The Carter Fami,'s 'Coal Miner's Blues', "Southern Folklore Quarterly, No. 25, 1961.
Interviews with Janette Carter and Joe Carter, Hiltons, VA; January and February, 1985.
Malone, Bill C. Country Music U.S.A. Austin: American Folklore Society, 1967.
Summers, Lewis P. History of Southwest Virginia. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1966. NPS Form 10-900-a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (3,82) Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form
Continuation sheet Item number Page
Multiple Resource Area dnr-11 Thematic Group
Name Carter Family Thematic Resources State Scott County, VIRGINIA ----::~-~/~}ft ' Nomination/Type of Review \'l) 1. Carter, A. P., Store ~~~-~~ Attest
1 4.'L.n ~per ---.// "·· • A_,_ J ~...z. /,;J- 2. Carter, A. P. and Sara, House la1'11r~. ~.- ~,.._ ... (~cz:::;i&:::kS:::::'.'. ~~ r a· latiM&l. Begt.ster Attest
3. Carter, Maybelle and E.Ti"t~!L'(;ti J.;.. \11C ~per ~-o&d~ ~b~Ar Ezra, House kt~ }i:Jgister Attest
4. Mt. Vernon Methodist ~1;1e.Ai!, it;." ~.w:~~ ~per ~~ ~&~/cf'J- Church ll!<.ti~l }t,;1.~.:,~~,'.'." Attest
5. Carter, A.P., Homeplace Keeper (Previously listed 7/30/76) Attest
6. Keeper
Attest
7. Keeper
Attest
8. Keeper
Attest
9. Keeper
Attest
10. Keeper Attest ...... ·· " "':_!. .
- • • • ... I ...... ,M ·. :_ . •. • - • • . ". -~ . -- .. • ·; ~. I . :..· · ...... ' ...... ,• •• . •• ...... ~ .••..U - ... • -~ - .... , ...... ~ _::.., .. "'... ./ . - .,. ____ .,. . ,;.. ..- .. ------. _:- --.::--~.::.:!,--:-;.. ~ .. ~- ··~ ·- .. - - ,.. . - ... - - . ~ ' . \ quadrangle (scale : 1 : 24000) ·~3 Hilton , VA 19 38(PR 1968)
CARTER FAMILY THEMATIC OMINATION, Scott County, Virginia
UTM References :
1. A. P. Carter Homeplace 17/375330/4058480 2 . A. P. and Sara Carter House 17/373950/4058840 - 3 . Maybelle and Ezra carter House '062 1 7/374660/4059 420 4 . Mt. Vernon Me hodist Church 17/376020/4059670 I 5 . A. P. Car e r Store 17/373710/40 58790 ...... , ,~----... ~ -.. .. , #ft1 ·-~ '~-.· ~'.~
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40' Car:ter Family Thematic Nomination, Vir:ginia Division of Historic Landmarks Thematic National Register Nomination Inventory Form
Historic Name: A. P. Carter Horneplace Common Name: A. P. Carter Homeplace Street Adress/Rt. No. :west of 691 VHLC File Number: 84-7 Vicinity of:Maces Spring Owner: Ermine Carter USGS Quad: Hilton 7.5 Route l, Hiltons, VA 24258
Oate(s): Late 19th century Architect/Builder:Unknown Original Use: Th.lelling Style:Vernacular Present Use: Storage Condition: Fair to Poor Altered ; unaltered xx
Physical Description:
The A. P. Carter Homeplace is a small log cabin situated along a footpath through Little Valley, between Pine Ridge and the North For:k of the Holston River:. Measur:ing 17' by 15', this is a one- and one-half story, half-dove tailed log building with weatherboard gables and a metal roof. At the west end is a small r:ubble stone chimney with a br:ick stack. Windows pierce the south and east walls, but ther:e are none in the north wall, which retains only a three-batten door with vertical, beaded boards.
The dwelling had a second log end attached in saddlebag fashion to' the chimney off the west end, but this was removed in the mid-20th century. A frame shed lean-to with vertical board cladding extends along the rear of the standing log pen and protrudes about six feet farther to the east. An open shed runs along the east end of the present cabin.
The interior of the cabin is very plain. A closed stair rises in the northwest corner, and there is a small fir:eplace on the west gable wall. The joists are exposed, and some of the remants of matchboard wainscoting survive. Since the house has been vacant for much of the twentieth century, few interior renovations have occurred. The building is now used as as storage shed.
Two wooden structures remain on the rise to the north, a small log barn and another frame outbuilding. Both are in fair, but deteriorating condition, and are only used occasionally for storage.
Statement of Significance: A. P. Carter was born in this small log house on April 15, 1891, the son of Robert and Mollie Bayes Carter. The Carter family had lived in this area for over 100 years at the time. A. P. was one of nine children raised her:e by his par:ents. This log house has remained in the Carter family to the pre sent, currently being owned by A. P. 's brother: Er:mine Carter.
In addition to its association with A. P. Car:ter, the homeplace is significant as a very representative example of late 19th and early 20th century vernacular architecture in the Scott County ar:ea. Many of the few surviving small houses from the late 19th century follow this one-room plan, with a low loft used for sleeping and a later rear lean-Lo used for kitchen space. This one-room plan continued to be an acceptable hot,sing form into the 20th century, often with few hints at the decoration of the period. Its smaller chimney and matchboard wainscoting are among the few concessions the A. P. Carter homeplace makes to the period of its building; otherwise, it is strictly traditional.
The A. P. Carter Homeplace was listed in the National Register on July 30, 1976.
Geographic Data/Acreage: Approx. 4 1/2 Acres
Verbal Boundary Description: Beginning at a point approx. 250' from the end of dirt access road and approx. 3700' NE of VA 691, the intersection of which is approx. 3200' 5 (continued) Boundary Justification: The bounds have been drawn to include the house, two farm buildings, and the immediate house and far:m yards associated with these three buildings. UTN: 17/375330/4058480
Prepared By: Ann McClear:y, Architectural Historian
Date Prepared; February, 1985 Verbal Boundary Description continued: A. P. Carter Homeplace 84-7 of intersection of VA 691 with VA 614; thence extending approx. 200' SE; thence approx. 500' E-NE; thence approx. 500' N-NW; thence approx. 400' W-SW; thence approx. 500' S-SE to point of origin. ·.. , .... $·... }~ ·_;] ~~ .. --~··' {·
' . .. ~ ~ L ..- - . _____--:\ ______------~-·--·-- Carter Family Thematic Nomination, Virginia Division of llinoric Landmarks Thematic National Register Nomination Inventory Form
Historic Name: A. I'. and Sara Carter House Common Name: A. P. and Sara Carter House Street Adress/Rt. No.: Rt. 614 VHLC File Number: 84-14 Vicinity of: Maces Spring Owner: ~ilan and Gladys Carter ~illard USGS Quad: Hilton 7.5 Rt. l, Hiltons, VA 24258
Date(s): Early 20th Century Architect/Builder: remodeled by A. P. Original Use: Dwelling Style: Vernacular Carter Present Use: Dwel 1 ing Condition: Verv Good Altered __ JL3 u~altered
Physical Description;
The A. P. and Sara Carter House is a one-and-one-half story, wood-frame bungalow whose present form reflects the 1928 alterations made by A. P. Carter. According to his daughter, Gladys, the present owner, the house contained only four rooms, two rooms wide and two rooms deep, when her parents acquired the property. A carpenter by trade, A. P. Carter remodeled the original three-bay block by creating bedrooms on the second floor, lit by a new front dormer, and by remodeling the front porch. Carter added a dining room addition which still stands off the east end. Few major changes were made to the plan besides the. removal of the partition between the two front rooms. The resulting dwelling clearly reflects the vernacular domestic forms of rural Scott County in the early twentieth century.
Since 1960, Gladys and Milan Millard have made several additions, including a garage/den addition off the west end, balancipg the east wing added by A. P. Carter. The Millards also created a basement, added a bathroom, e.nlarged the back bedroom, and covered the house with aluminum siding.
Several outbuildings were associated with the house, including a barn, crib, and shed. A. P. Carter built another barn east of the house in 1930 and constructed a sawmill along Blue Spring Branch south of the house, but neither of these buildings remain.
Statement of Significance:
This house is significant as the home of A, P. and Sara Carter, two of the original members of the Carter family. The Carters moved here in 1927, at the beginning of their recording career, and A. P. remained here until his death in 1960. A. P. remodeled and enlarged the small, four-room dwelling around 1928 to accommodate his .five-member family, including children Gladys, Janette, and Joe. He build a sawmill along Blue Spring Braneh for his carpentry "hobby" and operated it between the late 1920s and 1940s. After the Carter Family disbanded in 1943 and A. P.'s wife Sara remarried and moved to California, A. P. built and ran the sm>1ll country store just west of this hou~e. Ile con tinued to remain interested in the music business, however, and in 1952 recorded several records with Sara, Jue, and Janette, alth~1gh these did not gain the popularity of the original Carter Family albums. Since his death, his daughter Gladys and her husband, Milan Hillard, have continued to reside at the "homeplace."
In addition to its primary significance in its connection to the Carter family, the house also serves as a representative example of early twentieth century vernacular architecture in rural Virginia.
Geographic Data/Acreage: Approx. 1 Ac re
Verbal Boundary Description: Beginning at a point on th~ S side of Southern RR tracks approx. 550' E-NE of intersection of VA 691 with VA 614; thence extending approx. 200'(continued) Boundary Justification: The boundaries have been drawn to include the house and the immediate house yard. UIM: 17/373950/4058840
Prepared By: Ann McCleary, Architectural Historian
Date Prepared: February, 1985 Verbal Boundary Description continued: A, P. and Sara Carter House 84-14
E-NE along S side of said tracks; thence approx. 200' S-SE; thence approx. 300' W-SW; thence approx. 250' N-NW to point of origin. Carter Family Thematic Nomination, Virginia Division of Historic Landmarks Thematic National Register Nomination inventory Form
Historic Name: Maybelle and Ezra Carter House Common Name: Maybelle & Ezra Carter House Street Adress/Rt. No.: Rt, 614 VHLC File Number: 84-15 Vicinity of: Maces Spring Owner: Johnny & June Carter Cash USGS Quad: Hilton 7.5 . Henderson, Tennessee
Date(s): Early 20th century Architect/Builder: Garn Larkey, 1936 Original Use:Dwelling Style: rennovations Present Use: Dwelling Vernacular Condition: very Good .Utered ___!5 unaltered __
Physical Description:
The Maybelle Carter House began as a five-room dwelling, which was substantially remodeled during the Carter occupancy. Family members recall that the first, and only, floor contained four rooms, two across the front and two, divided by a small hall, behind these. A breezeway off the back provided access to a detached, one-room kitchen.
In 1936 Garn Larkey, a local carpenter, enlarged the house, creating its present form. At this time, several renovations were made to the original block; the partition between the front rooms was taken out and the hall dividing the' back rooms was removed, but the two rooms were retained. Larkey added a third file of rooms along the back, removing the detached kitchen. Additional bedrooms were created on a new second floor, lighted by shed dormers along each side. On the exterior, a new wrap-around porch with turned columns, extending across the front and the length of both sides, highlighted the renovations. Other alterations included the construction of a bathroom, the excavation of the basement, and the modernization of the interior. The only change since that date is the spindle frieze added to the porch in 1981.
This small farm presently includes a wood-frame smokehouse behind the house, a small barn built by Ezra near the smokehouse, and a two-level, cinderblock garage and workshop, also built by Ezra.
Statement of Significance:
The primary significance of this dwelling rests with its association with ~!aybelle Carter, an original member of the Carter family. Ezra and )1ay belle Addington Carter moved to this house soon after their marriage in March, 1926. Both were related to the two other members of the original Carter family; Ezra was a brother to A. P. Carter and Maybelle was a cousin to Sara Carter, coming from the Copper Creek community of Scott County. They spent most of their married life here, giving birth to and raising their three daughters, Helen, June, and Anita. After the original Carter family disbanded, Maybelle and her daughters continued to remain active in the music business, as Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters. In the early 1950s, Grant Carter bought their Clinch Mountain house. His widow remained here until June cf 1981, when she sold the property to Maybelle and Ezra's daughter, June, and her husband, Johnny Cash. Besides its primary significance in its connection with the Carters, this house with its gable-end facade, and simple rectangular form, illustrates a familiar and very representative samll house form for early twentieth century rural Virginia. The 1930s renovations clearly suggest the bungalow style growing in popularity during these years.
Geographic Data/Acreage: Approx. 2 Acres
Verbal Boundary Description: Beginning at a point on the left side of dirt access road approx. 475' N of intersection of said road with VA 614 which lies approx. 3000' (continu~d) Boundary Justification: The bounds have been drawn to include the house, outbuildings, and immediate house yard. UTM: 17/374660/4059420
Prepared By: Ann McCleary, Architectural Historian
Date Prepar~d: February, 1985 ------·· ·-·------·
Verbal Boundary Description continued: Maybelle & Ezra Carter House 84-15
E-NE of intersection of VA 614 with VA 691; thence following left side of dirt road for approx. 200' N; thence following said road approx. 250' NE; thence approx. 300' N; thence approx, 400' S; thence approx. 200' E to point of origin. Carter Family Thematic Nomination, Virginia Division of Historic Landmarks Thematic National Register Nomination Inventory Form
Historic Name: Mt. Vernon Methodist Church Common Name: :-It. Vernon United Methodist Street Adress/Rt. No.: Route 614 VHLC File Number: 84-13 Chu re h Vicinity of: Maces Spring Owner: Mt. Vernon United ~!e thod is t Church US GS Quad: · Hi 1 ton 7 . 5 · Box 10, Hiltons, VA 24258
Date(s): 1890s Architect/Builder: Unknown Original Use: Church Style: Vernacular Present Use: Church Condition: Good Altered~; unaltered
Physical Description:
The Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church is a typical example of the rural church form found throughout Virginia in the 19th and early twentieth centuries. The rather simple rectangular block contains a double-door entrance in the east gable-end facade, with three bays on each side. A projecting hexagonal chancel on the west end, oppo site the entrance, provides the only deviation to the box-like plan, while a square wooden steeple serves as the only exterior decoration. The original weatherboarding to this frame structure has been replaced by modern siding, but the standing seam metal roof remains.
Like the exterior, the interior is also quite plain. The plastered walls, original wood flooring, and molded trim with bulls-eye carved corner blocks remain. The congregation has lowered the ceilings and replaced the pews and pulpit furni ture. An older pulpit, perhaps the first in the church, has been moved to the base ment, while an original hewn wooden pew has been preserved in the Carter Family :vtemor i a 1 ~fus eum.
ln the mid-twentieth century, the congregation had a basement excavated. The additional space now houses four Sunday School rooms.
The cemetery on the east side of the church contains mainly twentieth-century stones, including those of A. P. Carter and Sara Carter Bayes.
Statement of Significance: The primary significance of the church lies in its association with the, Carter family, as a "cornerstone" in the lives of A. P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter. All three were quite religious and remained active in the life of the church. ~lany of the songs recorded by The Carter Eami:ly during their careers were hymns and other religious songs. As a boy, A.P. Carter sang in the Church choir. \vhen he and his brother Ezra married, their wives Sara and Maybelle attended Mt. Vernon Church as well. Sara and A. P.'s three childre~who live in the Maces Spring community, still attend this church.
In addition to its association with the Carter family, the Mt. Vernon Church survives as a little altered example of the simple rectangular church plan, usually of frame construction, that characterizes ru~ai Virginia's vernacular landscape throughout the nine•eenth and into the twentieth century. Picturesquely sited on a steep knoll in Poor Valley, the church serves as one'of the few public focal points for the small community of Maces Spring.
Geographic Data/Acreage: Approx. 1 1/2 acres
Verbal Boundary Description: Beginning at a point approx. 200' N-NW of intersection of VA 690 with VA 614 and approx. 50' east of dirt access road extending N from VA 614;(continued) Boundary Justification: The boundaries have been drawn to include the church, cemetery, and immediate church yard. UTM: 17/376020/4059670
Prepared By: Ann McCleary, Architectural Historian
Date Prepared: February, 1985 ------···------
Verbal Boundary Description continued: ~t. Vernon United Methodist Church 84-13 thence extending approx. 300' E-NE; thence extending approx. 300' N-N:;; Thence extending approx. 300' w-sw; thence extending approx. 300' S-SE to point of origin. Carter E'amily Thematic Nomination, Virginia Division of Historic Landmarks Thematic National Register Nomination Inventory Form
Historic Name: A. P. Carter Store Co:nmon Name:Carter E'amily Memorial ~useum Street Adress/Rt. No.: 614 VHLC File Number: 84-6 Vicinity of: ~aces Spring Owner: Janette Carter USGS Quad: Hilton 7.5 P. 0. gox 111, Hiltons, VA 24258
Date(s): 194S Architect/Builder:A. P. & Joe Carter, & Original Use:Store Style: ~lilan Millard Present Use:Mu~eum \'ernacular Commercial Condition: Good Altered __ ; unaltered x
Physical Description: Located at the foot of Clinch Mountain, A. P. Carter's Store follows a familiar local commercial building form for rural Scott County in the mid-20th century. The one-story frame building contains a rectangular plan, measuring 38' by 30, with a shed addition along the back. The distinctive architectural form is characterized by two steeply pitched cross gables, one along each side, intersecting the central gable roof. Several stores in the Hiltons area display a similar form with front gables. A central front porch shelters the main entrance, altered from a two- leaf to a single-leaf door, surrounded by nnrraw sidelichts and a transom. Paired ?..1 2 5a.'l,1 flank the central entrance. The facade retains its original weather boarding, which was unpainted until recently, but the side and rear walls have always been covered by bricktex siding. Decoratively patterned asphalt shingles in the front gables provide the little facade decoration to this vernacular struc ture. The exterior has not been substantially remodeled since its construction. The only alterations besides the replacement of the front door are the replacement of the plank parch floor with concrete and the painting of the facade in the 1970's.
The interior retains most of its original finish. The walls are covered with horizontal board sheathing and the ceiling with dry wall, Original wood floors remain throughout. In 1974, when the store was renovated into a music hall, a small, raised stage and dance floor was created at the west end, and wooden benches and auditorium seats were added in the rest of the room. The seats and benches were removed in 1978 when the building was con,verted to a museum. Some of the original store fixtures do remain, however, including a wooden counter and numerous wooden store dsiplay accessories. Some store accessories pre-date 1945; Carter had obtained many of these store items from Neal's Store, an older store located a short distance from his store.
Statement of Significance:
The Carter Store is significant primarily for its association with the Carter family. However, besides this historical association, the store is also important architecturally, as one of the least-altered examples of a common vernacular commercial form popular in rural Southwest Virginia in the early twentieth century.
A. P. Carter built and opened this country store soon after the original Carter family disbanded ·in 1943, A. P. had operated a grocery in the 1920s, so this type of business was familiar to him. Both he and his son Joe were carpenters by trade and constructed the store themselves, with the help of A. P. 's son-in law Milan Millard. A. P. built the store only a short distance west of his home.
Even after he built the store, A. P. continued to be involved in collecting, composing, and performing traditional music. Altho~gh he was not as active in recording as during his years with the original Carter Family, he still recorded several albums with Sara and his children Joe and Janette in the early 1950s. When A. P. traveled for recording sessions or performances, his daughter Gladys tended the store until his return. Carter ran the business until his death in 1960. continued
Geographic Data/Acreage: Approx, 1 Acre
Verbal Boundary Description: Beginning at a point on the N side of VA 614 approx. 50' E of intersection of said route with VA 691; thence extending approx. 225' N-NW;(continue Prepared By: Ann McCleary, Architectural Historian Date Prepared: February, 1985 Significance continued: A. P. Carter Store 84-6 A. P. willed the store building to his daughter, Janette, and it was used mainly for storage for the next 14 years. Dedicated to the preserva tion of old-time music and the memory of the Carter family, Janette reopened the building in August of 1974 for "Old Time :-fusic Shows" on Saturday nights. The rapidly growing popularity of the music programs in ~n area rich in the heritage of old-time music led to the need for larger facilities, and a new music hall was constructed to the west. The last show to occur in the old store building was on August 14. 1976. After the opening of the new hall. Janette converted the store into the Carter Family MemorL:11 ~useum, which houses memorabilia regarding the original Carter family members and thtcir children, who have continued to remain active in the music fiel~. Although the A. P. Carter Store is less than fifty years old, it is still of exceptional significance to merit inclusion in this thematic nomina tion for several reasons. First, the store was constructed by A. P. Carter and was associated with his later career. Second, the community maintains a strong associative attachment to the store, which symbolizes the important contribution that the Carter family made to the revival of traditional music in the 20th century. Third, the store, more than any of the older nominated resources, has continued to perpetuate the history and contributions of the Carter family through its music programs and museum collection to the present day. Verbal Boundary Description continued: thence approx. 300' W-SW; thence approx. 200' s-SE; thence approx. 225' E along N side of VA 614 to point of origin.